Hook latch for sliding doors



May 11, 1937. G. w. APPLE HOOK LATCH FOR SLIDTING DOORS Filed May 27,1935 lnvenlor L e urge!!! A vie A Homqy Patented May 11, 1937 werediATES i. i:FENT OFFIQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to hook latches.

The primary object of the present invention is to construct a hook latchso that the swinging radius of the hook may be changed in order thatsliding doors that usually bulge outwardly at the center may be drawn toa snug fit with respect to the door frame, and to further provide ameans for latching or holding the hook clamped firmly in the door.

Another feature of the present invention is the characteristics thereofthat permit the hook to be mounted on one sliding door and the keeperfor the hook be mounted on the abutting sliding door and by means of thechangeable radius of the hook the abutting doors may be latched in firmposition so that the hook cannot be tampered with from the outside.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a latching hook of thecharacter referred to that is strong, compact and durable, having veryfew parts to need repair, that may be used as a latching hook on eitherthe right hand door jamb or the left hand door jarnb, that is verysimple to operate, and that is comparatively inexpensive to manufactureand install.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of anovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein is disclosed an embodiment of theinvention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations andmodifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe claim hereunto 35 appended.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a view showing the latching hook 40 of the present inventionin top plan view applied to a door jarnb and showing the end of thesliding door in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the door jarnb y and a fragmentaryportion of a sliding door show- 40 ing the part of the present inventionin side elevation.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the plate l4.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of two sliding doors showing anadaptation of the present invention therewith and illustrating amodified form of keeper plate.

Figure 5 is an edge view of the modified form of the keeper plateillustrated in Figure l.

55 Referring to the invention as applied to a door jarnb and the end ofa sliding door, A indicates the door jarnb and 13' indicates a slidingdoor. In this form of the invention to make a keeper it is necessary toform an elongated recess 1 in the door adjacent to the sweep of thelatching 5' hook in accordance with the present invention. On the innerface of the door there is a keeper plate 8 bridging the recess l whichplate is formed with a slot 9 registering with the recess 1. Slot 9terminates above the lower end iii of recess 1 10 so that the prong onthe hook to be presently described may be clamped against the inner faceof the plate 3 as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The plate 8 iscountersunk in a recess i l in the inner face of the door, so as to seat15 flush with the inner face. A plate I2 is secured to the outside faceof the door and both plates are secured together by the bolts I3 one toeach side of the recess 1. These bolts extend through openings in thedoor. 20

To the jamb A of the door frame is secured the flat anchor plate M. Oneof the ends of the plate is formed with an upstruck flange 15perpendicular to the plate. The flange [5 extends transversely of theplate and in the center there- 25 of is a notch It]. The edges of theflange decline in opposite directions from the notch IE to form camedges ll. Adjacent the flange the plate is formed with an opening I8that receives the screw l 9 by which the plate is attached to the jarnbA. Adjacent the other end, the plate I4 is formed with an opening 20 andthrough this opening extends the shank of the pivot screw 2!.

An operating lever 22 is pivoted on the projecting shank of the screw 2|and there is a bearing bushing 23 between the upper face of lever 22 andthe head of screw 25. The threaded end of the screw extends through theopening 20 in the plate and is anchored in the door jarnb therebyholding the plate l4 in rigid relation. The latching hook is indicatedgenerally at C and includes a relatively straight shank 2 pivoted at theinner end on a bolt 25 carried by the free end of the lever 22. Nuts 26mounted on the bolt 25 allow the hook to be removed and turned 180degrees so that the same may be used for a right or left handapplication to the door. On the outer end of the latching hook C theshank 24 merges with a prong 2'! that is substantially perpendicular tothe shank 24 and the prong terminates in a round nose 28.

The free end of the lever 23 is formed with a handle loop 20. Theintermediate portion outwardly oi the pivot 2| rides over the cam edges55 I1 on the plate l4 and seats in the notch l6 whereby the hook islatched in clamped relation holding the middle of the door snuglyagainst the outer edge of the jamb A. To change the sweep or radius ofthe latching hook C where the sliding door B bulges outwardly from thejamb, the lever 22 may be sprung out of the notch l 6 toward the rightas shown in Figure l and the vprong 2i inserted through slot 9 to theposition indicated in Figure 1. In this position the lever 22 may beswung to the left until the lever seats in the notch E6 in whichposition the latching hook C will have been drawn toward the leftthereby taking the bulge out of the door and clamping it firmly againstthe jamb A.

In applying the invention to double doors the adaptation is illustratedin Figure 4 of the drawing where D indicates one sliding door and Eindicates the other sliding door. These sliding doors are in closedposition when the confronting edges are in abutment as shown in Figure 4of the drawing.

In using the invention on double doors the anchor plate i4 is applied tothe inner face of one door D so that the latching hook C will have arange of radius suitable to the exigencies of the fit between the doors.

A modified keeper member for the double doors is indicated at F andconsists of a fiat plate 39 formed with an outstanding sleeve 3! on oneend. The plate is secured to. the inner face of the other door E bymeans of screws 32. Plate 30 is secured to the door E substantially in ahorizontal plane and the sleeve 3! will lie in close proximity to theedge of the door in the path of the latching hook C.

It is well known that double doors do not have a very snug fit betweenthe confronting edges thereof. In using the latching hook of the presentinvention on double doors the doors are closed as far as is possible.Then the lever 22 is moved to the right until prong 21 on the hookregisters with the sleeve 3 I. By moving the lever 22 to the left theprong 21 clamps sleeve 3! and draws it inwardly thereby drawing thedoors together. When the lever 22 is brought into registry with notch Hithe lever snaps into the notch whereby the doors are latched in snugfitting relation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A door fastener comprising an oblong plate having a flat body portionadapted to be anchored to one face of a door, one edge across the minordimension of the plate being upturned perpendicular to the fiat bodyportion and notched in the center to provide an integral notched lockingflange, the free edges of the flange on each side of the notch decliningtoward the edges of the major dimension, a straight lever of greaterlength than the plate and pivoted intermediate its ends to anintermediate portion of the plate so that the sweep of the outer enddescribes an are located outwardly of the locking flange on the plate,said outer end of the lever formed with an operating handle and aportion adjacent thereto. having wiping engagement with the saiddeclining edges and seating in said notch of the flange in one position,a latch member formed with a hook on one end adapted for engaging akeeper plate and the other end of the latch member pivoted to the innerend of the lever in eccentric relation to the lever pivot.

GEORGE-W. APPLE.

